


The Disciples of Mistress Death

by greygerbil



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Impaled by Debris, M/M, Person confesses feelings because they think the other is unconscious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:20:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24180454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/pseuds/greygerbil
Summary: Ending up barely conscious and with a shattered shoulder is not the result anyone wants from a mission, but it provides an intriguing opportunity for Darth Nox.
Relationships: Male Sith Inquisitor/Khem Val
Comments: 7
Kudos: 46
Collections: Hurt Comfort Exchange 2020





	The Disciples of Mistress Death

**Author's Note:**

  * For [venndaai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/venndaai/gifts).



He had the artefact, but the ceiling was coming down.

Nox wasn’t shocked, exactly. For all their talk about serenity, Jedi could get vicious, and they knew how to manipulate the earth with their control of the Force. Nox, Talos and Khem Val had beaten a few of them in here, but Nox had suspected that there were more of them crawling overhead, as he had glimpsed a camp through the trees from afar before he’d entered the already perilously unstable, cavernous, ancient temple. One of their opponents must have gotten a message up to base before they breathed their last and it seemed that the chance to flatten a Dark Council member rated above protecting the integrity of this ruin.

“Run!” he snapped at Khem Val and Talos, vaulting over a fallen statue depicting some long-forgotten alien race, still clutching the primitive datacron glowing green between his blue fingers. He was not going to be buried with these remains.

Rusted steel beams broke and bent with ear-splitting screeches as rocks collapsed onto them in the Force-made earthquake. Stone and metal crashed to the ground around them. Up ahead, the exit was a narrow shimmer of light. Khem Val and Talos raced a step ahead of him, but Nox saw the arch of metal over the open door faltering under the weight suddenly piling on top, rapidly closing up.

Nox focused all his energy into his free hand, and, with a great push of the Force, threw Khem Val and Talos forwards, blasting them out of the hallway and to freedom. With a leap he followed after, but just as he rushed past the threshold, he heard something rend overhead with a groan and searing pain exploded in his left shoulder, ran up his neck and down his side like wildfire, and the world went black just after, staggering forward, he had caught the first glimpse of the blue sky.

-

When Nox woke, he was on the Fury. Even through eyes seeing only in flecks of colours and with his head pounding, he recognised the vague shapes of the bunk beds, the doorway, felt the metal of the cot they used to prop up their wounded under his palm. The heady smell of kolto filled the air and a shadow with horns, blue and white and orange, moved into his field of view, followed by that of a smaller, less colourful figure – Talos, he guessed, by the brown splotch on top of what Nox suspected to be the head.

“I think he is stable,” Talos said, leaning over Nox.

It did not seem like his eyes being open made them think he was conscious, so perhaps they had been for a while. His tongue felt numb and useless, thick in his mouth, and he could not move his limbs. Nevertheless, relief eased his taut nerves. They had made it back.

“Thinking is worthless. You need to know.”

Had Nox been able to turn his head in surprise, he would have. Instead, the two figures leaning over him straightened and looked behind them, as if in his stead. It made sense: you did not expect Khem Val’s voice to sound by anyone’s sick bed.

At least Nox now knew that both of his crew had made it out. If they’d killed a few Jedi on the way, he’d be willing to count this mission as a success, despite the dulled pain still spreading up from his shoulder, no doubt emanating from an ugly wound where he had been speared by the falling debris.

“He will soon recover,” Ashara said, and, almost with satisfaction: “Are you worried?”

Khem Val made an unwilling noise.

“The Little Sith knows more of the Force than many in this age,” he said, grudgingly.

That seemed to be as good as a yes. By the quiet laughter Nox heard over him, he would guess that Ashara agreed.

“He should be fine, but it will take him some time to really wake up,” Talos said. “I will go check on that datacron we found in the meantime. Once the painkillers wear off, he’ll need any good news he can get to distract him.”

His immediate future did not sound pleasant, but Nox was satisfied to know the artefact had survived the wild end to their adventure, too. His flesh would mend eventually; and if it did not, he’d pick out a robotic limb. That was what his head told him, anyway. Some animal part did still recoil at the suffering that lay ahead, but he’d known pain all his life, and so he brushed it aside.

“Would you mind keeping watch over him? I would like to meditate to replenish my powers. Healing him has taken a lot out of me.”

“Go,” Khem Val said, brash as ever.

Both Ashara and Talos moved out of Nox’s field of vision, which was slowly clearing. He heard their steps growing quieter outside in the hall.

Nox let his eyes drift shut again. Though he could see better now and his face was slowly regaining feeling, his lids seemed heavy as lead and his eyes protested at the light overhead. He heard shifting in the room again, the plodding of Khem Val’s steps moving up to his bed. Once upon a time, Nox would have been nervous to note his presence when he was so weakened, but he flattered himself that Khem Val was no longer held by his side only through their accidental bond. Nox had liked the old monster from the start, but he’d had to work for his approval. Months had turned into years before Khem Val had accepted him as his new master. However, Nox had long learned that things that came to you without a fight rarely stuck around, so he hadn’t minded.

“Little Sith.”

Still exhausted, Nox remained still. Khem Val was talking just above him, to him, of course. Nox’s apprentice Xalek may by the rules of logic have become the Little Sith at some point, but the ridiculous nickname was reserved for him. Nox liked not sharing it. He had never cared for his original name and thus taken quickly to being Darth Nox, too, but he liked ‘Little Sith’ for more personal reasons.

He figured that Khem Val was trying to see if he was awake and just attempted to will his tongue to move when Khem Val continued.

“You cannot die,” Khem Val decided angrily. “There is no one like you in this time. All the other Sith and Jedi I have seen, they cannot stand up to you. They are only fit to be food.”

Nox could have muttered a few words in response, but stopped himself. Khem Val was not usually the type to go into soliloquies like this and he wanted to know what had spurred this one.

To his great surprise, he found that Khem Val’s clawed paw touched his head. Again, Nox decided to keep playing unconscious. He probably could not have defended himself in this state, but he wasn’t afraid, anyway. The claws did not pierce his skin, though they naturally pricked him just a little as they brushed him. Khem Val lifted Nox’s head up briefly, then let it sink back, picking up a lekku that had drooped over the edge of the cot and placing it by Nox’s side.

“I cannot see you die,” he said, almost repeating his own words, yet with a new note of urgency behind them. “You are too much to me. You have wrenched me from the grasp of Mistress Death! She is no longer my only lover because of you.”

Though it sounded like an accusation, Nox realised what the words meant. If he could feel anything else, with every fibre aching and his head spinning already, he was sure it would have been his stomach lurching into his throat. Though he’d idle thoughts in that direction, he hadn’t even known if Khem Val’s people cared about such connections, much less if Khem Val himself did. Nox’s affection for the man had been a melancholic hum he could often afford to ignore, as at least Khem Val paid no one greater attention than him. This, however, might be the one chance he would get to go further.

“Why not tell me when I’m awake? You’re not a coward,” he slurred.

Nox opened his eyes in time to see Khem Val freeze in place. He growled at him then.

“You’re a deceptive creature,” he muttered.

“Oh yes, but not so much in this instance. Talking comes difficult right now. I figured I would let you finish.” Nox cleared his throat, trying to summon his voice as more than a rasp. “Is this part of the bond?”

Because though he wanted this, he would rather not have some paltry artificial emotion string them together. Khem Val following him had meant the most when he had declared he was now doing it because he wished to, because Nox had proven himself.

“No,” Khem Val said with certainty. “Tulak Hord was a great man, but it was not the same. The bond I desire is another – and I never thought that I would willingly be tied after all these years in servitude.” He shook his head. “You are different from anyone I’ve met. The Force works through you and I can smell the spirits of your dead enemies twisting through it when I’m close to you.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” Nox decided. “But you have a way with the Force, too. A Sith may easily be fascinated with you.”

“Yes?” Khem Val asked, careful in a way Nox had not heard from him before.

Nox glanced at his own shoulder. It was bandaged and should manage to stand up to some movement.

“Carry me to my bed,” he ordered. “I would rather rest there and my room will give us privacy to talk later.”

Khem Val leaned down and, knowing he would, Nox strained what muscles he had control over to lean his head up, kissing his fangs. Khem Val looked beautifully surprised.

“No, not yet! First, we must forge a bond with ancient rituals, find the right blood sacrifices. If Mistress Death does not get her due, she will make me devour you.”

“Khem Val, your mistress already loves me, too. How could she not?” Nox said with a toothy, pained grin as he lifted his hand to grip Khem Val’s thick arm. He’d certainly left enough corpses in his wake to get to his current station in life to gain any death goddesses’ favour.

Nox was no small man, but Khem Val picked him up from the cot as easily as a doll. Nox could hardly help him, as his shoulder protested with a wave of pain that silenced him – but, if he said so himself, he had used his remaining strength wisely.

“You are not wrong. I could not love a man who is not favoured by her. Still, the traditions must be obeyed,” Khem Val answered gravely.

Nox smiled.

“Do as you must,” he murmured. “I will take some time to recover and join you for what needs to be done. I look forward to it.”

Khem Val rumbled a wordless agreement. For all his talk of death and blood, as he shifted Nox against his broad chest, the movement was almost tender.


End file.
